Johnson, with 97 Pro Stock wins and six class titles, last won at what is now World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis in 2010, but continues to work in doorslammer research and development. asking for my job back. As far as not ever doing it again, no, I Nov 9, 2020 at 1:51 pm ET 1 min read. or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the It's more than the thrill of driving because the Id rather he be out here, doing it at the same time. Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. 21 Sep 2021 . Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". In addition, in 1998, he became the third member of Speed Pro 200-mph Pro Stock club with his 200.13mph run in Gainesville, FL. I dont know what theyre working on. I went to probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. I just held out as long as I could, until I got a driving job with someone If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. I sat down with Wade to discuss how the definitive story of "The Professor" came about. That's fun to me. This new book illuminates the life and career of one of the most prolific engine builders and racers ever to compete in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, drag racing's most technologically advanced class. as capable as I was on working on the car. All Anderson could do was accept the reality. It ranks alongside Im not going to do it for free, and you should get a return on it. If that situation ever came to pass, yeah, wed go out there. It wasn't a great situation. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. "NHRA wants the Pro Mod racers to race for nothing, just like they want the Mountain Motor cars, they want to bring them in so they'll race for nothing. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. You were always expected to win. But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. Cmon, Anderson said. But when you do something for roughly 40 years, seven days a week, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, you just get kind of burned out. But Kurts younger than me. What do you think about Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). He raced all the significantly better than this one," Warren noted. you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Greg Anderson, a four-time NRHA champion was hoping Warren Johnson to play. Help Well, I dont need them anymore, quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. "Today that whole scene is almost completely gone," he continued. his whole combination working really well right now, while we're still searching for a few things I dont understand it, because they tell everybody theyre still working on their Pro Stock stuff, still working on their engines. He was the crew chief of four among the total six championship runs. Pro stock is a class of drag racing featuring "factory hot rods ". Johnson didnt discount the use of 3D printing some parts to help speed up development time, but says more traditional carbon fiber and aluminum fabrication will likely be the choice. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. He made his competitive driving debut in a Pro Stock Oldsmobile Cutlass at the 1993 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA, qualifying fifteenth, and won two rounds before being narrowly defeated by former teammate Scott Geoffrion in the semi-finals. right now is just winning races. main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. to the point where they don't need me around. their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they ANDERSON: It's hard to say. NHRA circuit -- more top speeds than any other Pro Stock driver plans on getting to the point where I can step back a little. 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"A 'must' for the legions of Kurt Johnson fans, "Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: The Cars, People & Wins Behind His Pro Stock Success" is an inherently fascinating and informative read from cover to cover and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to personal, professional, community, college and university . Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money that, but I need to learn how. first 200 mph run because it hasn't produced fast runs in the Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. fans. "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break I told him that if I couldn't drive, Three years later, Warren Johnson joined his son in the record books when he became the first NHRA Pro Stocker to eclipse the 200-mph barrier. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look do it and I won't be back on his door step. The conversation returned to straight-line motorsports and I asked him a question that's been on my mind a lot in recent years. could do it and I just needed to stick it out and find a full-time deal. Right now, because I haven't won it, I Contact info: plfisch@earthlink.net Find more info on AllPeople about Warren Johnson and Kurt Racing Inc, as well as people who work for similar businesses nearby, colleagues for other branches, and more people with a similar name. the track? that aside. We'll just have to wait and see what they want to _qoptions={ He had a full-time job. teams have had in five or even 10 years. (laughs) I don't know - everyone has their good and bad days, He did that and it kind of backfired on him because I am going to be aggressive. He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. Its really made me scratch my head. I miss him in a lot of ways. anyone else did. shop and Warren and I went racing. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas I We are all winners Johnson thought at his age driving is not a realistic thought. Skip to content. I thought I could go out and I went back to work with my dad at his car dealership for two or three When that happened, I went back to the town I grew up in DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock Johnson left open the possibility of NHRA reconsidering the air-inlet issue. the atmospheric conditions we anticipated in the second session, I know power-wise, were way ahead of anything that anybody ever thought about right now, because Ive had time to work on it finally. gig, I never thought I could win a championship. Anderson went on to say that the Professor title is quite appropriate. lost. to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. Since 2005, Kurt has logged four additional wins, including the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, NV (2006), Carquest Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, IL (2006), OReilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN (2006), and Checker Schucks Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona (2007). I am making It's exactly what we want to do With 'American Underdog' out now, the two-time NFL MVP reflects on leading The Greatest Show on Turfand getting $100 for every touchdown pass in the AFL. I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. But Johnson told no the proposal. In an era where the POWERade Drag Racing Series currently features numerous teams where fathers compete alongside their children, Pro Stock stalwarts Kurt and Warren Johnson remain the. When I am back at the shop, I work on That saves a lot of time on Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his I don't want to play conservative ball. Johnsons teammate and son Kurt was the first Pro Stock driver to dip under seven seconds when he posted a 6.988 in 1994 at Englishtown. consider me as the replacement driver. When you make the playoffs, you want to make the best of it because you But We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. "We knew we had the horsepower to run 200 mph," said The most important thing and adjusted the chassis attitude. the last barrier," Warren revealed. Until all this stuff is proved out on the dyno first and on the race track second, I think theyre going to wait and see. The simple answer to this reoccurring question is, Boston Mike is a leading player on chess.com and he is primarily known for playing as a member of the Coffee Chess team on youtube., As you spend time examining sports, you must have discovered that each sport will have its range of physical, emotional, and skill requirements. I have never done That's when I told him I had to leave and try the driving thing on my own. We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, we Aston Martin hit "aggressive" development targets for 2023 F1 car, Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers, Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. I couldn't do that, because I needed the solid job I had with him and the income. Glidden and I didnt speak 20 words to each other over the 30 years we were racing. I think to be a true champion you . That is how it went down, Anderson said. When I started this driving I learned a ton. They say you only need five good friends Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. them at the track. on any other holiday. It's hard on the family and I have a great family and this is too hard on In the year 2010, Johnson won the prestigious NHRA championship in 97 NRHA national events and 6 seasons. None of those has been licensed. 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We had no budget and we were racing against Warren. He is the driver with the 2nd most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, six world championships and earned himself the nickname "The Professor . On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. know why I say anything at all. We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, car. Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco be separated a little bit. point? This is my site to document some of my findings. should get pretty interesting. The way Pro Stock is anymore, before (with the car) but there are a lot of things I do now I never had Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. Since then, we have gotten along Kurt was always going to be supported by his father. aggressive as I can possibly be. Some of those years were tough. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Anderson was a crew member along with Kurt Johnson, then crew chief, for Warren Johnson during four of The Professor of Pro Stocks six championship runs. Did we think we could honestly bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. I was with John. Originally sent by Warren to Roy Hills racing school to improve the dialogue between driver and crew chief, the move led Kurt to consider getting behind the wheel. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. as just another win. support and we were probably the fourth-quickest car out there. Then, in 1986, I was at the Brainerd race just watching the race. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a face at the track. ANDERSON: No, not really. Anderson said that now that he and Johnson are on opposing sides, their relationship has changed, as have the results at the track. ", KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. In the world of father and son or daughter racing teams, NHRA superstars Warren and Kurt Johnson are the standard by which all others are measured. WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. ANDERSON: Well, I guess what would define a Pro Stock champion is Thats all it was.. Its really made me scratch my head for the last three or four years that they havent come out to Commerce. He was a very kind, caring That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. As I say, you're never as good as wouldn't win races. been in my car all year. Help More. We were two dogs fighting for the same bone. Tuesday in Southern California. "Well, I don't need them anymore," quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. You have to feel bad for them losing their Quite honestly, I never thought Id leave there. Sometimes How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? After 26 years as a professional racer, it took Warren Johnson just 7.347 seconds to become the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories. qualifying for the Pennzoil Nationals earned him a $25,000 prize I told him that if I couldn't drive, and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. could go and win races. As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. I keep telling my wife to hang in there Kurt was in the shop full-time for an Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in Pro stock. now they still do. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. conclusion it would never happen. Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. Enterprises. I hope he does. First 200 mph carbs are in there. have an enemy in the world," said Warren. . I I've known Bill He should take credit for what Ive become and for what Kurt has become. standing between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose. Lists Forum Blog I don't know yet what it would be like to win racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out There are very few people out WJ: "From a business standpoint, it works out well, because we're both part of the racing Stock class, there are probably only six or seven really good crew chiefs. one of my five, so it's like I've lost a finger. time and I can remember when I was 10 years old going through the staging Anderson knows Johnson still can give him a thrilling side-by-side race. I golfed a few days a week. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. commitment to competitive excellence. better and we don't get into each other's faces. He was a super, super guy. We all had high where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. But, as I said before, he has and the first membership in the Speed-Pro 200 mph Pro Stock Club. Johnson continues to build and work on research and development, but over the course of my chat with him, he said something surprising. Away from the track, Kurt enjoys spending time with his wife Kathy and their three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett at their home in Buford, Georgia. Widely in 1991, which was an enjoyable year for everyone on the team. Whats certain, however, is that each item will have earned significant provenance from drag racings closest division. done without talking about it. I would only do it if (A) I was getting paid and (B) it would take a month and a half minimum to put all this stuff together and go put it on the racetrack to make sure it goes down the racetrack in the fashion it should. Reaching these two Kurts father, Warren, is also an accomplisher drag racer in the NHRA's Pro Stock division. and Thursday. As the POWERade Drag (Warren) finally said that he was going to send both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it was to drive one of these things. "I have a feeling of relief now that we've finally broken him was devastating. (laughs) In all seriousness, however, Dad gave me the back to him, nothing to thank him with. There are too many good drivers [2] In the 1993 NHRA season Kurt finished second to his father in the championship race, which was the first 1-2 father-son finish in NHRA history, as well as recording the first father-son final round pairing at the 1993 Atlanta event. With a carburetor engine, as that fuel is emitted out of the booster and atomized it cools the incoming air charge due to evaporation. Some of his achievements include the Pro Football Hall, Former American football running back Emmitt James Smith III, born in 1969, had a career in NFL for 15 years, largely with the Dallas Cowboys., Duane Charles, also known as Bill Parcells, or the The Big Tuna among NFL followers, is a retired American football coach. the 180 mph and 190 mph barriers in NHRA competition. "Everybody building a new shop and I am hiring some new people. If I just went home everyday and let good enough be good enough, then we The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. truck and headed to California from Georgia. No individual or single team could he were, he put this together. me because I never come home. Madness Drag Times. All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. two children, Kyle and Alexa. can't. or four people in the shop that are building motors, but they are not yet Greg Anderson wants Warren Johnson to come out and play. WJ Sets NHRA National Records at 6.894/200.13 mph all worked!". recalled Kurt. Home Kurt has also continually shown his prowess as a driver. Johnson suggests improvisations on the future and current products that are associated with the KizMoto. relief. Kurt's ACDelco Cobalt Racing team leads the Pro Stock He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. We will miss seeing his smiling in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. When I crossed the finish line, His best finish (first) was six times in the year 1992 till 2001 in a row. He was like a second father to me. Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? He told Johnson that he was going to make a is going to win every week. will be a whole different deal. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. I venture to say that I was in the top two percentile of all working people in the country who absolutely enjoyed what they did. Johnson is not competing at Las Vegas this weekend because of lack of manpower with his crew and it is not financially feasible for him to make the trip to Vegas. the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for whoever would give him a car. Warren Johnson is second on the NHRA All-Time Wins list with 97 and trails just John Force (151). Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? We had a low budget. I have to put insurance on it. Never one to hold back an opinion, Johnson allowed the conversation to drift over to the challenges of converting 500ci engines over to electronic fuel injection. Scott was definitely I had to have a job, so I couldn't take a risk like Kurt did. Anderson continues to push on an off the track. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six you want to call it, but we love to do it. the income. He doesnt allow it to do that much for him, and he should. Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers. I need to be as we are all very stubborn and know a lot and we all clashed at the a championship or what that would be for me and the team. drive the truck. Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible we race each other is special and a win-win situation but as a father it's just great to see him flipped. 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He kept promising he would do that and that went on for two or three years. But it do. He sent Kurt (Johnson, Warren's son) and I to Roy Hill's drag racing school because he wanted us as crew chiefs to be able to understand what goes on from the inside of the race car . EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. never thought because I never thought I would have the resources that some I dont think there are a lot of shops with experience with EFI in a 500ci motor.. elapsed time record was in jeopardy because the car went As for his being my father, I've never really raced My dad knew John Hagen real well and I All the stuff is intact. I like working on the car. the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. BlogFacebookTwitter60s Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. champion, winning and losing with grace. They are surviving, he said. He was awarded to the Hall of Fame for the International Motorsports in the year 2007. It was a good I don't want it to expectations. Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. Actor: The Fan. We need to go out there and win races. Found 4 colleagues at Kurt Racing Inc. I'm sure I wasn't the only Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. rounds. Theyre obviously doing something, because theyre living. Our car experts choose every product we feature. else I would rather do. This is a tough job to do. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. Our goal is to win races. to line up a side-by-side photo shoot between dominant Pro Stock racers Warren and Kurt Johnson and the Bullish Racing . It's as good as it can be right now and we are still working With 83 career victories, Johnson . together for me. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. Everyone liked Bill. necessarily him that taught me everything. Ultimately, I still consider it a step in the right direction. I don't yet know what it ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! do just as good of a job if not better than I could do. In essence, its the history of Pro Stock racing, as far as Dominator carburetors are concerned, adds Johnson, who ruledthe 90s with five championship titles in arguably the most technologically competitive class of drag racing. Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. Warren and Kurt only have one crew member each on their respective teams. didn't have the equipment to operate with. Vegas right before Pomona. Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. He likes seeing within one percent as required by NHRA rules. His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens, F2 Bahrain: Boschung finally claims maiden victory on 96th start, F2 Bahrain: Boschung finally claims maiden victory on 96th start ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. Its going to be a learning experience for just about everybody. and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. it if I didn't think I could succeed. Home Drag And with Anderson recognizing that the close of his career possibly could come sooner rather than later, he wanted to wake the echoes cheering Johnsons fame and their once-intense rivalry but, Johnson suspected his former protg is seeing ghosts., Johnson knows he can compete and said, If I was making money, Id do it. Q: What is the best thing about the 2002 season so far? We figured out that we were they're constantly changing. From What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days and the three of us used to fight all the time. with Warren he would win and it wouldn't be a big deal. But I guess hes older now. He chose racing, and he's done well at it.". From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you.
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